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Redistributing the seats: much ado about very little

Ontario is insisting on 'equal' and 'fair' representation, but that formulation if insisted upon with mathematical rigour flies in the face of the Constitution, the jurisprudence, and Ontario's own behaviour in allotting its provincial seats

By NELSON WISEMAN |
Published: Monday, 07/23/2007 12:00 am EDT

Ontario is threatening to make a federal case over Ottawa's proposed legislation, Bill C-56, to expand the House of Commons and redistribute its seats. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has mused about hauling Ottawa into court. He is on weak constitutional ground, as his lawyers will advise him. He has no more business telling Ottawa how to redistribute its seats than Ottawa has telling Ontario how to allot its constituencies. In addition, fed-bashing doesn't play well politically in the province.

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Redistributing the seats: much ado about very little

Ontario is insisting on 'equal' and 'fair' representation, but that formulation if insisted upon with mathematical rigour flies in the face of the Constitution, the jurisprudence, and Ontario's own behaviour in allotting its provincial seats

By NELSON WISEMAN | July 23, 2007

Ontario is threatening to make a federal case over Ottawa's proposed legislation, Bill C-56, to expand the House of Commons and redistribute its seats. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has mused about hauling Ottawa into court. He is on weak constitutional ground, as his lawyers will advise him. He has no more business telling Ottawa how to redistribute its seats than Ottawa has telling Ontario how to allot its constituencies. In addition, fed-bashing doesn't play well politically in the province.

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